KMBC's Kris Ketz reported that research now links the two. It's called caregiver distress.

When Wendall Muck was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, his 84-year-old wife, Dorothy, became his primary caregiver.

"I would get this, 'Well, mother, what's going on? How's dad?' Then the questions would come, How are you?' Dorothy Muck said.

Caregiver distress is brought on by taking care of an older loved one.

"So when they're trying to do it all themselves, it causes a tremendous amount of stress and a lot of guilt," said Lynn Schieve of Home Instead Senior Care.

An American Medical Association study found that almost 20 percent of caregivers surveyed said their own health had gotten worse, putting them at higher risk for depression, high blood pressure and even heart disease.

One of Dorothy Muck's biggest issues was keeping it all bottled up.

"It takes a lot of toll on people," Muck said.

She said finding other caregivers to talk to was a start.

"The most important is that the caregiver take care of the caregiver," Muck said.

With her husband gone, a local in-home care service helps take care of her, making it easier on everyone.

There are now websites where you can find out your risks for health problems.